Wedding Day Countdown: The Ultimate Beauty & Body Plan

Daily workouts? Torture. Protein and veggie diet? Mental warfare. Weekly skin sessions? Expensive. Loving how you look on your big day? Priceless.

John Herr

For my wedding, I vowed to get my skin and body in the best shape of my life. With my date just a week before my 36th birthday, I knew that it would take discipline and dedication–lets be honest, with age, simply opting for salads at lunch and slathering on a moisturizing face mask weekly isn't going to cut it. If I wanted a sleek silhouette, including the elevated booty and Madonna-like arms that would so elegantly complement my beloved Kenneth Pool "Celia" gown,  I was going to have to work for it. If I wanted to turn back the clock on sun damage, enlarged pores and those expression lines on my forehead, I was going to have to be diligent with my at-home and in-office treatments. After a few months of albeit, intense workouts, super clean eating and consistent beauty appointments, I was not only 15 pounds lighter, I was more toned all over. I had legit curves. My skin was glowing and smooth. When I slipped on my dress that day and looked at my reflection, I felt transformed.

I will preface the month-by-month plan below, that potentially could be deemed extreme by some, with this: I am a beauty girl. I write about breakthroughs, innovations, treatments, and products in beauty and fitness for a living. It's in my blood, and I know as much as anyone the power that they can have not only physically but mentally–I was willing to do it all. What you feel when you see yourself in the mirror is more than skin deep. Bottom line: do what you need to do to be your best self. I promise, your hard work and the cost will be worth it.

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Countdown: 1 Week

My main focus is keeping my skin in check. I inspect each pore every morning and night to make sure there’s nothing brewing underneath the surface that may cause major issues the day-of. Dr. Schultz gives me one last peel trifecta as well as troubleshoots one potentially scary breakout that is forming on my upper right cheekbone.  Dr. Gerstner insists that if she was me, she would absolutely do one last Clear+Brilliant to break down any remaining pigmentation near the surface. Since I had no adverse reaction the other two times, I too felt confident it would be safe to do one last one this close to my wedding day. At last–operation best skin of my life is complete!

As my mind raced through any potentially last minute disastrous occurrences, I thought of sweating. If my anxiety shot through the roof, my sweat glands could kick into overdrive. Having wet circles on my gown was a scary thought that I wasn’t willing to risk. Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank  squeezed me in that same day and after numbing my underarms for about 20 minutes with a topical cream, he did a few quick injections all over the area. Sweat? What sweat?

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With my honeymoon in St. Barths planned, I was finally getting to wear my hot, new, high-cut Eres suit. I booked a Brazilian Bikini wax at the downtown Haven Spa, my go to because of their no nonsense yet comforting demeanor during  an otherwise excruciating experience.

Everyone had told me that the week leading up to the wedding was when I would see the payoff of all my hard work. While this was toally true, I knew that I still wanted to stick to my get-fit plan and not veer off until I was sitting poolside in St. Barths. Continuing to nix alcohol, sugar, and simple carbs, I ordered five days of Sakara Life, the celebrity and model favorite plant-based food delivery program that sends pre-made and perfectly packed meals that I could easily eat on the go and at home without stressing over how to cook or eat clean. Game. Changer. I felt lighter, less bloated and looked leaner. Taking food planning off my plate felt like a relief as I focused on the last minute check list: seating charts, table names, decorations and planning the rehearsal dinner.

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